Eswatini is a high-burden country for HIV and tuberculosis (TB) that has made remarkable progress in combatting both diseases in recent years. To sustain and expand upon Eswatini’s progress against HIV/TB, HEAT Lab member Dr. Anna Mandalakas at Baylor College of Medicine—in collaboration with UTHealth Houston School of Public Health, University of Eswatini, and Eswatini Ministry of Health—has been leading an international research training program (2021–2026) funded by the National Institutes of Health called Siyakhula: Growing HIV/TB Research Knowledge for Growing Healthy Kids in Eswatini. Named Siyakhula, meaning “we are growing” in Zulu language, the program conducts training in HIV/AIDS research methods with a focus on pediatrics (infants, children, adolescents) and TB co-morbidity.
Dr. Mandalakas also received an administrative supplement by the National Institutes of Health to integrate climate change and health within the collaborative HIV/AIDS training program. For this supplement, Dr. Kevin Lanza has led the co-development of a Climate Change and Public Health master’s degree at the University of Eswatini; mentorship of three scholars in Eswatini on climate change-related pilot projects; and training of academics, non-profit employees, and government officials on using sensor technologies to measure meteorological conditions and human behavior. Research output includes a review article on the impact of climate change on HIV transmission and HIV care of children and adults in Eswatini, and what adaptation strategies can mitigate these impacts.1 Furthermore, Dr. Lanza received funding from UTHealth Houston School of Public Health to investigate the impact of heat on small shareholder sugarcane farmers and their families in Eswatini, and their recommended adaptation responses.
Check this webpage for updates on climate change and health research conducted in Eswatini by this international team.
1 Mkhatshwa NP, Dlamini WM, LaBeaud AD, Mandalakas AM, Lanza K. (2024). HIV in Eswatini: Climate change impacts and adaptation strategies. Current Tropical Medicine Reports. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40475-024-00325-z